Friday, July 3, 2015

June 29th, 2015 update

Elder Reed's only picture this week, aside from the photo of the family letter, was this:

For any of you that know Elder Reed personally, this is his **favorite** food! :) His own words about it: "We got to have Subway for lunch in the Multizona!!!! Even though we aren't allowed to eat lettuce it was the best sub i've ever had!!!" :) [I guess once you go without something for awhile, it tastes even better, even when there isn't lettuce on it! Ha ha]Elder Reed also shared this song that he had heard, "Have I Done Any Good?" - https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-07-001-have-i-done-any-good-in-the-world-today?lang=eng - It is an awesome song! Remember, every effort for good in this world DOES make a difference! :)From Elder Reed's family letter this week: "Hey family! Got a great headline: New Bishop in San Borja! After 4 months without one to act as the head of this ward. Now we need to let him know we are willing and ready to work for him and help him!" Elder Reed went on to talk about cool news and experiences of the week. "We have a member here who reactivated himself back into the Church and is seriously preparing himself to enter the temple and serve a mission. He is at the age limit (25) and is in contact with [the mission president] to get himself ready." [How cool is that?!] Elder Reed said that they had a Multizona conference [several Zones of missionaries meet together] in which over 80 of the over 200 missionaries attended. He was able to speak with his mission president to see if there was anything else they could do to help this young man prepare to serve, and the mission president said (after Elder Reed's explanation of what they were currently doing), "He will be just fine. Keep doing what you're doing." :)During the Multizona conference, Elder Reed shared some instruction they'd been given. "every night, we are to kneel and pray as a mission [at a specific time]. That way, we can be more united in our efforts of Salvation." Awesome! Elder Reed and the missionaries were also told that the mission president had read in his guidebook that missionaries should be in their respective wards serving for 6-8 months, and that hasn't always been happening there. [They were transferred more frequently than that.] Elder Reed then calculated that he could potentially only have 3 areas for the remainder of his mission. He has been out for over 9 months now - time surely flies by!!Elder Reed's spiritual thought: "Read Doctrine & Covenants 60:1-5, 61:1-4 & 22, and 62:4-8. What is important to the Lord? What isn't? Remember that God gave us each a brain and enough juice to make our own decisions. The God of All won't always lead us along by the hand. Sometimes we need to make up our minds and just go! God wants us to be dependent on Him, but not dependent for everything. That is the reason we have working minds and prayer, to be wise servants of our Heavenly Father! :) God loves you, and so do I, Elder Reed"Until next time, remember that we have the agency of choice, and we can choose good! :)